A Snapshot from Life
by thebonron
Summary: In order to focus on his research, John decides to spend the next few months in a small town. The story follows nine year-old Dean as he struggles with growing up, taking care of Sammy, and adjusting to life at a school that doesn't really want him there
1. New Town

Nine year-old Dean carefully leafed through the pages of an old comic book while sitting on the floor of their latest motel room. Four year-old Sammy lay sleeping on one of the room's two queen beds while John sat in front of the room's only desk, leafing through a long Latin text.

"Is there another hunt that you have to take care of?" Dean asked quietly, as his dad continued to go through the pages laid out in front of him.

"Not this week," John said, without looking up from the work that he was doing. "I'm just going over some of the stuff from last time. It's going to help me step up my game for the next time I have to take care of this kind of case."

"Oh. Okay," Dean said, while feeling a small sense of relief at the fact that his dad was not going away for at least a week. "Dad?"

"Something on your mind, Dean?" John still didn't look up from the pages of Latin.

"It's nothing," Dean asked. "It's just that…"

"Yes, son?" John finally looked up at his eldest. "What is it?"

"Are we going to stay here for long? In this town, I mean?"

"That depends on how things go with my work," John replied. "But I do intend to find us a room that we could rent for at least a couple of months."

"Oh." Dean quietly sighed. "It's just that I was hoping that me and Sammy wouldn't have to keep going to that school you signed us up for."

"_Sammy and I_, Dean," John automatically corrected. "And just what is wrong with that school?"

After deciding that the boys couldn't just stick around the motel while he completed whatever research he needed to complete, John registered Sam and Dean in the local elementary school. And while Sam was thrilled at the chance to both meet and play with some kids his own age, Dean hated everything about the school the moment he first walked through its doors. It was just like all the other schools he had already been to. The teacher spoke in a tedious monotone as she explained things that Dean already knew and the kids... Well, the kids all looked at Dean like he was some kind of a juvenile delinquent who had come to the school merely because he had already been expelled from every other school in the state. He had already spent the first three lunch hours he had been at the school eating alone in the schoolyard and was definitely not looking forward to the chance to go back to that… Dean felt bad about even thinking the word, _hellhole_.

"I don't know… " Dean stammered, not knowing how to answer his father so that he would understand. "I just get the feeling that some of the kids don't really like me."

"Dean, I know that you would rather live in a place that is closer to Uncle Bobby and your old school, but this looks like as good place as any for the three of us to settle down for the next couple of months. You know that I need to be in a place that allows me to do my research and the library that they have in this town has a lot of that necessary material. Not to mention the fact that it'll also be nice for both you and Sammy to have a bit of stability in your young lives."

"Why can't I stay home with you?" Dean asked. "I could help you with your work, you know…"

"Because you're just a kid, Dean," replied John. "Kids don't go to work, they go to school."

"I don't want to go to school," said Dean. "I'd rather stay here with you."

"Dean, you may not like your school at the moment, but the things you learn there are going to come in handy throughout your whole life. Besides, with the two of us staying at home, who will be there to take care of Sammy?"

"You're right, Dad, I'm sorry," said Dean, who hadn't really considered that point before. "Sammy needs me there."

"Good kid," said John as he turned back to his work. "And I know that over time, you may even find yourself liking this new school of yours. Trust me, kiddo."

"Ok, Dad," said Dean. After spending the last three lunch hours cooped up in the bathroom, he was having some serious trouble believing all that his dad was telling him. But this wasn't a point that he was about to argue, so Dean just nodded and moved towards the remote that lay on the floor across from the bed.

"No, Dean, I don't want you to watch TV right now," said John. "It might wake up Sammy. And it wouldn't hurt for you to go to bed either. You have school tomorrow."

"Ok, Dad," Dean repeated, without issuing another word of protest. "See you in the morning."

"You too," John said dismissively while continuing to look into his papers. "I'll turn out the light once I'm done here."

"Ok," said Dean. And with that, he climbed into bed, desperately hoping that his next day at school would turn out at least a little bit better than the preceding three.


	2. Off to School

The next morning, Dean got up extra early only to find a note from his father placed on the chair where he had thrown down his clothes the night before.

_Dean_, said the note in John's scraggly handwriting. _Something's come up and I needed to pop out of town for a few hours. It's nothing serious, so go on straight to school. I should be back before you get out, so don't even __**think**__ of skipping. And that's an order._

Dean shrugged, wondering what could have possibly come up to make his dad leave in the middle of the night. But since Dean also understood that his dad would not be likely to tell him what had happened even after he returned home, Dean just sighed quietly and started getting ready for school. While he did have a few thoughts about walking out the door and just hiding out at the video arcade for the rest of the day, he also understood that he would never be able to hide that plan from Sammy, who at that moment lay still and sleeping in the motel's other room, but would in turn never be able to keep what he was planning to do from John. No, it would never work. It looked like both of them would be going to school as soon as they finished eating their breakfast.

It was only after Dean had brushed his teeth, ran a quick comb through his hair, finished putting on his clothes, and set out the toast and cereal that he and Sammy would be having for breakfast that Sammy started to stir. He looked sleepy and confused for just a couple of seconds, but then leapt straight out of bed and started the day with his usual torrent of questions.

"Hey, Dean! Where's Daddy? Are we walking to the school? What's for breakfast?"

"Dad had to go out for a bit and will be back later," Dean said, already starting to feel like today was going to be a very long day. "Yes, we'll be going to the school in just a couple of minutes. I made toast and cereal, so eat quickly, ok?"

Sammy continued to ask questions, pausing only to spoon a bit of cereal into his mouth. In response, Dean just pointed to the cereal, as a silent reminder to eat more and talk less. As a result, Sammy managed to finish his cereal rather quickly and, true to Dean's word, the two boys were out the door in just a couple of minutes.

The walk to school wasn't very eventful. Sammy was his usual self and wouldn't stop chattering about the field trip that his class would get to take at the end of the week. Dean, however, just kept on walking, all while holding his little brother's hand and occasionally offering a few words of encouragement.

"That's great, Sammy," Dean said after Sammy started telling him all about the finger painting that he would get to do that day. They had already reached the front door of Sam's kindergarten classroom. "Look, we're here, ok? Go on straight to your table. I'll be waiting for you in the same spot as soon as I get out of school."

"Ok!" Sammy smiled and darted straight into the classroom. "Bye, Dean!"

Dean nodded and walked the few steps that separated him from his fourth grade classroom. After telling himself that he should feel happier about his little brother's love of school, Dean braced himself for his own _educational experience_. The boy pushed opened the door of his classroom and made towards the desk they had brought out for him after his dad had first registered him and his brother at the school less than a week ago.

"You're late, _Jonathan_," his teacher Ms. Pfeiffer stared straight at him. "Class has started a few minutes ago."

"It's _Dean_," Dean mumbled under his breath. "And it's only by a few minutes, geezus."

"What did you say, there?" Ms. Pfeiffer's eyes were starting to burn holes in Dean's old brown jacket."

"I said that my name's _Dean_," said Dean in a voice that came out a little louder than last time, but was still barely above a whisper. "Nobody calls me Jonathan."

"Well, then, _Dean_," the teacher gave him a cold look as she walked towards the board. "Perhaps you will be so inclined as to finally take your seat and join your classmates as they open up their spelling books to page nine. Perhaps you will all remember that you have a spelling test coming up at the end of the week?"

Dean did as he was told without saying anything else. He couldn't believe that he hadn't been in the classroom for more than four minutes, but had already managed to get in trouble. It was going to be a very long day indeed.


End file.
